Since we're less than a month from the general election, anyone remember the RMT show "Guilty secret", with two of the RMT's "A Team", the wonderful Mandel Kramer and Teri Keane (who always sounded like original "Saturday Night Live" star Jane Curtin)...plus Leon Janney, who might as well have been an "A-teamer".

Melvin is a U.S. Senator and he has been convinced that he is the right man for the job of President. He agrees to run and things are going great. It looks like he is a sure thing. One problem - he has a secret.

This is a good episode...but the Episode of the Day for Halloween?? Huh? I can think of sooo many other episodes -like the one where the girl is visiting her ancestral home Scotland and becomes pregnant by Satan or any of the witchcraft themed ones, etc. tht would have been a far more appropriate choice for Halloween...just saying...

I rate this episode ★★★★☆ for GOOD. What’s great about Sam Dann’s writing, is that his mystery stories get to the core of people’s emotions and surprises can come at any turn. This Drama-Mystery had a terrific plot and outstanding character development. However, in the 3rd Act, just when things are about to unravel at the finale, nothing shocking happens. No twisted surprises. No secrets to unfold. It’s like Sam Dann the writer wanted the story to end where the Fans of CBSRMT can make up their own ending. The title is perfect, though. Another way to title this: “Between The Cradle And The Grave.” The music was perfect. Dramatic tunes in every scene, plus a track from the TWILIGHT ZONE. The best music track played, was at the 33:00 mark when the main character started having nightmares of his secret. Sound effects of the doors, footsteps, telephone ringing, crickets, car engine, political music, birds, and the howling wind were supportive. But hardly any sound effects in the 3rd Act. Moving on, our Host’s Prologue where he changed the words of the poem. This poem, created by a Welsh Poet named John Dyer, went like this: “A little rule, a little sway. A sunbeam in a winter’s day. Is all the proud and mighty have, between the cradle and the grave.” Why E.G. Marshall altered the words, who knows? Anyway, in ACT-1, he goes into Red Serling-mode when he states that there’s an incurable disease called “Buggis Presidentialius,” hinting that this is going to be a mystery involving politics. In ACT-2, he quoted Lord John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton that, “Power tends to corrupt” and point out that power sharpens the eyes of the ego. More than that, points out that anxiety is a natural state of mind. In ACT-3, after the finale, no conclusive statement or a lesson to be learned. In his Epilogue, E.G. Marshall informs the CBSRMT Fans that humans elevate their leaders and drag them down as well. Decent narrations, but not enough insight to be cautious about keeping secrets. But the best part of all in this episode, was the cast: Mandel Kramer (as Senator Melvin Lewis Blaisdell), Leon Janney (as Jim and the Taxi Driver), Evie Juster (as Gloria Blaisdell and June Miller), and Teri Keane (as Emily Hawkins and the Radio News Reporter). Both Leon Janney and Evie Juster played 2 roles and they were both very good. But Mandel Kramer and Teri Keane were the ones who stole the show! Mandel Kramer is perfect at playing characters that are paranoid. And Teri Keane has a voice that sounds heartfelt. The dialogue they spoke in their private rendezvous scene was captivating, felt as though like they were an actual couple in real life. For a good political drama, this one you should check out. Until next time…pleasant dreams. =0)

Not sure what to make of this one, other than it certainly is acted very well, with the whole cast being CBSMRT first string stalwarts. Yet it's not very satisfying, for me at least. One odd thing is that the opening teaser dialogue isn't anywhere in the actual episode -- you guys know the series, usually they play a teaser of dialogue and then the music cue hits and E.G. Marshall reads the title, and so on, and that clip then eventually happens later in the episode but in this case, that teaser dialogue doesn't happen again anywhere I can find in the ensuing show. It's not just set-up or narrative, it's conversational dialogue between two main characters... yet it doesn't occur later at all. I don't recall that happening in other episodes. Sure, sometimes there's a difference in how it's read but it's the same dialogue at least. But not in this case. It's not some big deal but I have always felt it's kind of cheating the listener to hype something that won't eventually happen, like a flashy B-movie poster promising greatness the film itself does not provide. As well, a 'political thriller' this one ain't. There is no real political intrigue or backroom dealing or any real tension, anything conflicting in any way EXCEPT the lead's own sssooo tormented mind, his overwrought instability. The story is really about his not-sure-but-apparently-guilty-conscience (and rather irritatingly paranoid hypervigilance and bad/impetuous decisions when so tormented), and that's really all it seems to be about. There's no story movement beyond repeated variations of essentially three scenes -- him with his campaign manager, him with his wife, and him with the Other Woman. The same scenes keep happening, just with generally different dialogue in each. There are no 'surprises', even though the script emphasizes the word/concept numerous times. There's not really any ending either. It's just him whipping himself into an emotional frenzy and then we never really know what may happen. Just unsatisfying, though again the acting is top notch.

Mike C:The teaser is in the story - I just finished listening - it is at position 45:10.

Yawn. So a presidential candidate fathered a child out of wedlock. This is humdrum. Grover Cleveland was elected president amid the "ma ma where's my pa" scandal of 1884. We went through this with George McGovern in 1972. We lived through Clinton's entire presidency. This story is a nothingburger. For some real action, why not dramatize Adlai Stevenson admitting that he accidentally shot a girl to death when he was a tween?

Melodramatic and overwrought. The candidate is his own worst enemy. He makes his "secret" so obvious that any casual observer could figure it out, and a good reporter would need to follow the candidate for about 10 minutes before figuring it out.

To describe this story as a train wreck is being generous....